Sarah Madden has been a nanny in the Chicago area for six years and has received a variety of holiday tips, including what she says is the “typical” one week’s pay in cash. Other holiday gifts she’s received from the families she works with have been considerably more generous — like designer handbags and Tiffany necklaces.
Madden’s 13-year-old son has prune belly syndrome, a chronic and life-threatening illness. Eventually, he’ll need a kidney transplant, she said. One of the gifts she cherishes the most is a Tiffany necklace with a kidney bean pendant her current employer bought her.
